Forget handshakes, make amends & find common ground: My...

MY first bit of advice to Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be not to worry about winning the "handshake war" with President Donald J. Trump when he meets him at the White House. French President Macron just lost and look at all the nice things Trump then said about France during their meeting in the Oval Office.

Image Credit: The Sun [Keir Starmer speaking at the Scottish Labour Party Conference.]

Besides, even if you win...you lose. Do you really want to undermine the critical relationship between Britain and the United States because you bested Trump in a power handshake?. Reasoned diplomacy and multiple treaties, defence contracts, and economic initiatives scream out for you to throw the contest for the betterment of your fellow citizens back home.

Image Credit: The Sun [Donald Trump speaking at a podium.]

Next, before you broach any diplomatic or international relations issues, you have some fences to mend with Trump. Three which come to mind are these: First, you allow approximately one hundred members of the Labour Party to fly to the United States to actively campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Image Credit: The Sun [President Macron and President Trump shaking hands.]

In case no one on your team told you, that really angered the President. He and his team referred to it as "foreign election interference.". Next, we have Labour's Foreign Secretary David Lammy once shockingly labelling Trump a "neo-Nazi-sympathizing sociopath.".

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a plan for up to 30,000 UK and European troops in Ukraine.]

Not surprisingly, Trump and his team were not thrilled with that description from a "professional" diplomat in the Starmer government. Last -- Leaving London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his many insults of Trump aside -- we have Lord Peter Mandelson -- your current ambassador to the United States -- who once openly called Trump a danger to the world.

Image Credit: The Sun [Man in suit speaking, raising his hand.]

Regardless if your diplomats need a refresher course in diplomacy or not, you can be assured that Trump's team in the White House will have reminded the President of these comments. Blame it all on bad curry, a total eclipse of the Sun, or the far-left all-in-one excuse/accusation of "Russian interference," but acknowledge it all to be regrettable mistakes and then move on instantly to common ground.

Image Credit: The Sun [Large fire engulfing a city street with several cars submerged in smoke and water.]

Before you walk into the Oval Office, have several at your mental fingertips ready to discuss. Leaving poisonous and self-destructive partisan politics outside the door of the Oval Office, you will be reminded or instantly discover that President Trump truly likes people and rarely holds a grudge.

Image Credit: The Sun [Soldier in camouflage carrying a rifle and helmet.]

One of the latest examples of that is Trump joking and laughing with former President Barack Obama at the services for Jimmy Carter. Trump is convinced that Obama was out to destroy him and yet...water under the bridge in so many ways when they sat together.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a proposed peace plan for Ukraine, showing troop movements and territorial concessions.]

Remember also, that Trump's mother was from Scotland and he truly does have a soft spot for the United Kingdom, its traditions, and the Royal Family. More than that, he respects you. As he recently said of you while aboard Air Force One: "I get along with him well. I like him a lot. He's liberal, which is a bit different from me, but I think he's a very good person and I think he's done a very good job thus far.".

Like and respect Trump back. To break the ice with the President maybe ask him if he sees much of America's and the world's problems through the lens of a highly successful businessman. What are the advantages of that? What are the disadvantages?. As you ask, keep in mind that in Joe Biden, Businessman Trump was replacing someone who had been a career politician for over half a century.

Has Trump become the template for the "Un-Politician?" Ask him. Next, with regard to one of the President's most persistent criticisms of NATO, point out that you, as Prime Minister, did just lift defence spending to 2.5%. From there, move on to Ukraine.

Remember that just a few short days ago, you said during a speech at an international summit on supporting Ukraine in Kyiv that: "President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right.".

By Noa Hoffman, Jack Elsom, Martina Bet, Jerome Starkey. SIR Keir Starmer has vowed to pump an extra £13 billion into defence, warning “tyrant” Vladimir Putin only responds to strength. The PM today laid out a plan to raise the military budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP within two years - and then to 3 per cent after the next election.

The cash boost will add an additional £13bn a year to armed forces coffers from 2027, according to the PM. But only £6 billion of that is actually new money - calculated as the difference between spending 2.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent of GDP. The £13 billion figure is based on a comparison with a hypothetical scenario where defence spending was frozen in cash terms rather than rising with GDP.

Meanwhile, part of the increase will be funded by cutting £6 billion from the hate foreign aid budget, reducing it from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP. Addressing the nation this afternoon, Sir Keir said there was a “security imperative” to boost defence spending but that it was also a “tremendous opportunity”.